HAMMONTON, N.J. — Hannah Schell and Libby Frazier each picked up a pair of goals, and the Berks Ajax FC U17 Flying Dutchmen girls soccer team held off a late flurry to hold on for a 2-1 victory over the weekend at the MAPS Spring Challenge in Hammonton, N.J.

The Flying Dutchmen reached the final after going 2-0-1 in group play with victories over the Voorhees SA Blue Devils (1-0) and the Elizabeth SC Jaguars (4-3) and a 1-1 draw with the JENYB Elite Training Jaguars.

Jillian Bertino registered the lone goal for Berks Ajax in the win over Voorhees, while Misty Galligan picked up the clean sheet in goal.

Frazier then picked up her first goal of the tournament in the 1-1 draw with JENYB Elite Training, setting up a win-or-go-home scenario for the Dutchmen in their final group play match.

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Berks Ajax was pushed to the limit against Elizabeth, going down 3-2 after taking an early 2-0 lead on a pair of Frazier goals. But Taylor Halteman drew the Dutchmen level at 3-3 before Savannah Tucker hit the eventual game-winner on a strike from range to give her team a 4-3 lead.

The tournament win is the second for the Dutchmen in as many tournaments after going 3-0 recently at the Going for the Goal Indoor Showcase at the Wyoming Valley Sports Dome in Wilkes-Barre recently.

The Dutchmen opened their indoor showcase action with a 10-0 win over the Quakertown Fireballs, before rolling to a 7-0 win over the BTSC Teal Wave. Berks Ajax then wrapped up their tournament play with a 7-2 victory over Hughesville White.

Frazier led the Dutchmen with eight goals on the day, while Tucker chipped in with five, Savannah Naughton added four and Marie Valenti had three.

Schell and Brooke Erb each added solo tallies, while Galligan picked up all three wins on the day in goal, including the back-to-back clean sheets.

BOYS SOCCER

Eastern Pennsylvania youth soccer can welcome FC United to the 100-win club.

FC United, a youth travel soccer team based in Douglassville and established in 2008 by Kevin Morris, joined the 100-win club last weekend when the team came together for a final U12 indoor tournament at Blue Mountain High School in Schuylkill Haven.

FC United swept its first four matches and lost a tough rubber match in the championship.

FC United started playing 8v8 travel soccer at the age of seven and now, a little over four years later, the team has amassed 102 wins, winning 70 percent of its games. FC United has competed against 95 youth soccer teams affiliated with 65 different soccer clubs across Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New York. The team has been crowned champions 12 times, finalist nine times, and semifinalist two times in league and tournament competitions.

This team has already begun its next chapter in 11v11 travel soccer competition for FC Blazers and will also be playing for the Daniel Boone Middle School soccer team.

BOYS BASKETBALL

The St. Maximilian Kolbe Cardinals finished a perfect season with a 58-53 win over parochial powerhouse St. Andrews, of Newtown, to win its first Archdiocesan CYO Championship in front of a capacity crowd at Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster last weekend. The victory capped an undefeated season for St. Max and put the team in the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) State Championship, which will be held over the March 22 weekend in Pittsburgh.

The win moved St. Maximilian’s record to 35-0, which included first-place finishes in all five of the tournaments the team played in this season, including the acclaimed St. Helena’s tournament, which features the best teams in the 150-plus team archdiocesan league.

The team was led by Nick Alikakos, who scored 30 points in the archdiocesan finals.

The Pennsylvania CYO State Tournament features the champion from each of the state’s eight dioceses. St. Maximilian, representing Philadelphia, opens up on Friday, March 22 against St. Thomas More Church, of Allentown, who was the winner from the Diocese of Allentown.

CHEERLEADING

The Spring Valley Heat All Star cheerleaders competed in Newark, Del., this past weekend. Tiny Embers went as an exhibition. Mini Sparks level 1 took 2nd place out of 5 teams. Youth Ignite level 2 took 2nd place out of 3 teams. Youth Wildfire level 3 took 1st place. Junior Flares level 1 took 2nd place. Junior Fury level 2 took third out of six teams. Junior Firestorm level 3 took second. Senior Blackout level 3 coed took 4th out of five teams. Senior Smoke level 4.2 took first out of two teams. Amanda Fields took first with her individual. Brittany Miller and Brittney Parker took 1st with their duet. All teams received bids to the US Finals cheerleading competition in May. SVH travels to Philadelphia for Jam Fest at the Liacouras center at Temple on March 17th.

ICE HOCKEY

The Owen J. Roberts Middle School hockey team dropped a penalty-filled 8-2 loss to Conestoga this past weekend. Brennon Szilli put OJR on the scoreboard at 5-1 with a power play goal from Gordie Delano. After a shorthanded goal for Conetoga, OJR’s Kevin Hatten added a shorthanded goal of his own with just over minute played into the third period making the score 6-2. OJR goalie Darius Lobello had 19 saves on 27 shots.

The OJR Wildcats Middle School hockey team split their weekend, ending it with a 4-3 win over Kennett. Szilli scored a power-play goal after Kennett had taken a 2-0 lead. He was assisted by Austin Mourar and Benny Bochanski. The Wildcats turned up the offense in the final period, first Kevin Hatten tied the game at 2-2 with his team-leading 20th goal, Mourar and Billy Kranich would pick up the helpers. Mourar came right back on his next shift and put OJR up 3-2, Zack Habermann and Jake Vitullo getting the assists. After a Kennett goal to tie it at 3-3, Mourar put his team up for good with his second goal of the game and fourth point of the night, unassisted. Lobello won his eighth game of the season while making 16 saves.

GYMNASTICS

The Berks East Gymnastics Level 4 Team recently competed in the Level 4 Pennsylvania State Championships in Downingtown.

Individual State Medalist results:

Age 8: Alexa Vogelman placed third All-Around (AA), second on vault; Anna Barnes placed sixth AA; fourth on vault and beam; Taylor Getz placed fourth on vault, fifth on bars. Age 9: Kayla Craig was the State Champion on vault; Chloe Mirak placed fourth on bars; Hailey Little placed fourth on vault. Age 10: Emily Brown was the AA State Champion, placed second on bars, ninth on beam, second on floor. Age 11: Dana Moss placed third AA, second on bars and beam, fourth on floor; Rylin Montieth placed fourth AA, second on vault, fourth on bars, third on floor.

About the Author

Rosemarie Ross is a veteran sports reporter for The Mercury. A native of Germany, she began her career with the former United Press International pioneering the role of women in sports reporting. She was worked in Trenton, Phladelphia and Patterson, N.J. and has covered pro sports and boxing. She is a member of the National Hall of Fame for her boxing coverage. She covers high school sports -- and loves it. Reach the author at rross@pottsmerc.com
or follow Rosemarie on Twitter: @RoseRoss31.